A Longitudinal Multilevel Item Response Theory Analysis of Specialization in Violent Crime

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

There is increasing recognition that our understanding of specialization in violent crime is limited by difficult methodological problems. In order to address some of these problems, Osgood and Schreck (2007) proposed a multilevel item response theory method for the investigation of patterns of specialization in violent crime. They suggested that their method could be easily extended to incorporate longitudinal data. This presentation is among the very first to apply their multilevel item response theory method to longitudinal arrest data derived from official records of 206 at-risk boys from the Oregon Youth Study. Patterns of specialization in violent crime will be modeled for the boys using official records data from age 9-11 years until age 17-19 years. Variations of specialization in violent crime as a function of several background characteristics (e.g., SES, parent antisocial behavior, child academic skills, child antisocial behavior, child attention problems, parent harsh/inconsistent discipline, age of onset, gang association) will also be examined. Implications of the findings for theory and applied purposes will be discussed.

Authors

• Margit Wiesner, University of Houston

• Karen Yoerger, Oregon Social Learning Center

• Deborah M. Capaldi, Oregon Social Learning Center